Court of Appeal rules Ibrahim Magu’s EFCC acting tenure illegal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unlawful. This decision overturns a previous Federal High Court judgment that had upheld his continued retention in the role.

The appeal was filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who challenged Magu’s continued service after the Senate had twice rejected his nomination as the substantive chairman. Magu served in an acting capacity from 2015 until his suspension in July 2020.

In the initial 2019 ruling, the Federal High Court had dismissed the suit, stating that the EFCC Act did not explicitly restrict the president's power to retain an acting chairman indefinitely. However, the appellate court's recent decision reverses that stance, addressing the legality of exceeding the stipulated tenure without Senate confirmation.